When Steve Zimmermann, 39, thought about proposing to Kailey Smith, 37, the Toronto native wanted everything to be set up perfectly, and most importantly it had to be a surprise. The couple, who met while they were working at Homeguard Funding, an independent mortgage brokerage firm in Newmarket, Ontario, were engaged at the Ladies Pavilion in Central Park this past December. The proposal included a blanket, two mugs of hot cocoa, a pavilion glowing with string lights, and a photographer hiding nearby to capture the moment. And, to pull off the surprise, Mr. Zimmermann kept the engagement ring discretely hidden in his pocket using Ring Stash, a compact box designed to conceal an engagement ring.
“The box that the ring came in was large, and if I had it in my pocket Kailey might have spotted it ahead of time,” said Mr. Zimmermann.
Ring Stash is the brainchild of Marvin Velazquez, 40, an engineer from Los Angeles, who is also an owner of Heart Bandits, a marriage proposal planning company based in Fountain Valley, Calif., that he started with his wife, Michele Velazquez, 40. Mr. Velazquez said he wishes he had a box like Ring Stash when he proposed to Ms. Velazquez in 2010. “The ring box that I had was huge,” he said. “It was basically the size of a baseball. So I took the ring out and put in my pocket, which was really scary, because I was nervous the whole night that the ring would get dirty or get scratched, or that it would fall out.”
Mr. Velazquez heard similar frustrations from grooms that he worked with through Heart Bandits.
He applied his engineering skills and designed a ring box that is “as thin as a cellphone, so your partner won’t notice that it’s in your pocket,” he said. Ring Stash, which retails for $64.99 and can be purchased on the company’s website and on Amazon, has a magnet that keeps the lid closed and a rotating gear that provides an impressive presentation of the ring when the box is opened. It can hold a ring with a diameter of up to three-eighths of an inch.
Keeping a proposal a secret can be challenging. According to the Knot’s 2019 jewelry and engagement study, nearly half of recent proposers surveyed said they thought their proposal was a complete surprise. Yet only about one in three of those proposed to said it was a complete surprise.
An unexpected proposal can make for an unforgettable experience. “There’s something sweet and special about a surprise proposal and knowing your partner spent days, if not months, thoughtfully planning a moment you two will remember forever,” said Kristen Maxwell Cooper, the editor in chief of The Knot.
Want to stage a surprise proposal? Here are five products, in addition to Ring Stash, that you can use to hide an engagement ring.
Although it may not be the most hygienic place to hide a ring, a pair of socks from Box Sock will hide your engagement ring until you get down on one knee. One of the socks has a pocket, located above the pant line, that can accommodate a ring box of up to 1.75-inch height, by 2.5-inch width by 2-inch length. The company also sells a $15 slim engagement ring box that can hold at least a three-carat stone.
$24; theboxsock.com
Hide & Drink Leather Wedding Ring Case Handmade by leather artisans in Guatemala, this compact engagement ring case fits neatly in a pants pocket. It has a durable finish and comes with a 101-year warranty. Each case is cut by hand and finished with a fine stitching method — and any loose ends are passed over an open flame to ensure no unraveling occurs. The case is available in six colors, including bourbon brown, slate blue and dark jade. It can hold rings of up to 2.25-inch height by 0.5-inch width by 2.25-inch length.
$10; amazon.com
H & D Seashell Small Box Ring Holder
Planning to propose on a beach? This jewelry box, made of metal and crystal, has an elegant seashell design that’s hand painted. The case is measured 1.6-inch height by 2.6-inch width.
$12; amazon.com
This velvet jewelry holder looks like a red rose, providing a clever way for you to conceal an engagement ring when proposing to your beloved. The box’s diameter is roughly 1.57 inches.
$7; amazon.com
Does your significant other love French macarons? Shaped like the delectable dessert, this ceramic ring box is available in five colors and features goldtone trimming and a bow as the clasp. The box’s diameter is roughly 2 inches and its height is approximately 1.10 inches.
$6; mardel.com
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